Spark ignited gas burner



April 22, 1969 'rAo micl-u HA'rToRl ET AL 3,

SPARK IGNITED GAS BURNER Filed Sept. 20, 1967 INVENTOR Tmmw-m "07 M BY 5mm Null ATI'O NEY United States Patent US. Cl. 431266 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a gas lighter which is ignited by electric discharge spark, the burner section is provided with a main gas outlet and an auxiliary gas outlet, and a pair of electrodes electrically connected to a high electrical voltage generating device (for example, a piezoelectric device) are so arranged near the auxiliary gas outlet that the electric discharge spark generated between said electrodes passes through the mixture of fuel gas which has issued from the auxiliary gas outlet and the air. The auxiliary gas outlet transversely communicates with the gas flow to main gas outlet by way of a chamber whereby to optimize the flow from the auxiliary outlet over a wide range of flow to the main outlet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The high electrical voltage generating device for use in a cigarette lighter is, for convenience in practical use of the lighter, under the restriction that it should be smallsized and light in weight. This restriction results in limitation of the voltage generated by said device. In order to carry out ignition of fuel under such limitation, adjustment is made of the space between said electrodes or of the position of the electrodes relative to the burner. Such adjustment is, however, still not suflicient to assure positive ignition owing to the fact that the generated voltage is low and that the gas-air mixture is not in a condition most favorable for ignition.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an ignit ing arrangement for making the lighter small-sized by improving the electrode arrangement.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an igniting arrangement for so mixing fuel gas and air as to be most favorable for ignition.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an igniting arrangement which assures positive ignition of fuel gas by passing electrical discharge sparks through the above mentioned gas-air mixture.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an igniting arrangement wherein variation of fuel gas ejection amount will not exert appreciable influence upon the state of said gas-air mixture so that stable fuel ignition is always possible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional, elevational view of one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 2 and 3 are similar views of other two embodiments respectively of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, a spark electrode 1 connected to one terminal of a high voltage generating device, such as a piezoelectric element, is arranged adjacent to a fuel nozzle 3,439,995 Patented Apr. 22, 1969 "ice member 2; and the nozzle member 2 is electrically con- 7 nected to the other terminal of said high voltage generating device. The nozzle member 2 is provided with a main gas outlet 2' and an auxiliary gas outlet 2" of a branch gas passage and of smaller gas ejection amount. Arrangement of such electrodes and nozzle member is so made that the discharge spark IN produced between said nozzle member 2 and said spark electrode .1 passes through the mixture M of the gas that issued from the branch passage and the air. Shown further in the drawing, is a base plate 3 of electrically insulating and heat resisting material ,to which plate 3 there are secured said nozzle member 2 and said spark electrode 1. As can be seen from the drawing the main gas outlet 2' is in axial alignment with the underlying tubular gas conduit and the auxiliary gas outlet 2" is axially olfset and communicates with the gas conduit by way of an enlarged chamber formed in the nozzle member which functions to optimize the gas flow from the outlet 2" over a wide range of the gas flow from the gas source.

In another embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, an electrode 4 is planted in the nozzle member 2 so that the discharge spark N is produced between this and said spark electrode 1. Like the first embodiment a gas pressure control chamber trails the auxiliary ignition nozzle 2".

In still another embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, different structure of the auxiliary gas outlet 2" is indicated. To an inner tube member 5 provided with a main gas outlet 2' there is secured an outer tube member 6 with its free end portion slightly spaced from said inner tube member 5, so that the fuel gas issues, passing through small holes 7, 7 and through the space between said inner and outer tube members. The annular space between the inner and outer tubes 5 and 6 defines the optimizing chamber preceding the nozzle 2".

With above mentioned structure, the igniting arrangement according to the present invention operates as follows: lUpon igniting actuation, the fuel gas is led to the nozzle member 2 and main part thereof issues from the main gas outlet 2, while the remaining part issues from the auxiliary gas outlet 2", as shown in dot-and-dash lines in the drawings. Due to an operation such as mechanical strain of a piezoelectric element, a discharge spark N is produced between the spark electrode 1 and the nozzle member 2 and ignites the fuel in the gas-air mixture M in a proper manner. Owing to use of the nozzle member 2 as one if the spark electrodes it is possible to make the space for the electrodes smaller, thus sufficiently miniaturizing the gas lighter.

Since the nozzle member 2. is provided with the auxiliary gas outlet 2 so that the discharge spark N produced bet-ween the spark electrode 1 and the nozzle member 2 passes through the gas-air mixture M, fuel gas is well ignited by an instantaneous discharge spark.

The gas-air mixture M through which the discharge spar-k N passes contains relatively small amount of fuel gas which has issued from the auxiliary gas outlet 2" and is of such state of mixture as to be most favorable for ignition. In operation, first the discharge spark -N ignites the fuel gas of this gas-air mixture M, and then the fuel gas that has issued from the main gas outlet 2', which fuel gas is of sufficient amount for practical use of the lighter, is ignited. Thus more positive ignition is assured.

Further, when fuel gas supply amount at the nozzle member 2 is adjusted, the fuel gas ejection amount variation at the auxiliary gas outlet 2" is small compared with that at the main gas outlet 2'. Thus, such adjustment for flame adjustment purpose does not exert appreciable influence upon the state of the gas-air mixture in which the gas is first ignited by the discharge spark N. Accordingly, said gas-air mixture maintains the state which is most favorable for ignition, assuring always stable igniting operation.

Thus, the .above .mentioned structure of the nozzle member 2 in accordance with the peculiar electrode arrangement always assures stable ignition and provides great benefit in practical use, especially in pocketable gas lighters.

While there has been described and illustrated preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A gas ignition system comprising an inner tubular member having .an upper part defining a main nozzle, means for directing a flow of gas through said inner tubular member and main nozzle, an outer tubular member coaxial with and terminating at a point below the top of said inner tubular member and delineating with said inner tubular member an annular chamber defining space which is closed at the lower end thereof and open at the upper end thereof to define an auxiliary nozzle, said inner tubular member having an opening formed therein below the upper part of said outer tubular member and providing communication between said gas flow and said chamber, whereby the proportional variation of gas emission from said auxiliary nozzle is small relative to that of the gas emission from said main nozzle with 'variations of said flow of gas, said main nozzle being formed of an electrically conducting material and means for establishing an electric spark in the vicinity of the gas emission from said auxiliary nozzle including an electrode insulated from and directed toward said main nozzle above said auxiliary nozzle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,136,355 6/1964 Weber 158123 3,246,207 4/ 1966 Remy 317-81 3,336,505 8/1967 Liesse 31786 1,835,215 12/1931 Hammon 431-349 2,134,169 10/1938 Wright 431-349 2,241,295 5/1941 Clark 1581 15 2,996,113 8/1961 Williams 158115 3,304,014 2/ 1967 Hancock et a1. 431-349 FOREIGN PATENTS 427,657 4/ 1935 Great Britain.

982,056 1/1951 France.

160,799 10/ 1957 Sweden. 1,132,756 7/ 1962 Germany.

VOLODYMYR Y. MAYEWSKY, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

